Machine for hardening articles.



W. J. PERRY.

MACHINE FOR HARDENING ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1913.

1 2114949. Patented. Feb. 6,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W /3 We w. J. PERRY.

MACHINE FOR HARDENING ARTICLES.

APPLICATlON FILED MAY 16. 1913.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

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I I I I 1 I 11 w W M m W mm a To all whom, it may concern.-

anneal, straighten, to' harden the article.

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MACHINE FOR HARDENING ARTICLES. I

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Application filed May 16, 1913. Serial No. 768,021.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. PERRY, a

citizen of the United States,-and resident of" 'Bridgeport, Connecticut, have invented an mprovement in Machines for Hardening Articles, of which the following description, in connection with'th'e accompanying drawings, is'a specification, like characters on the rawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to means for preventing distortion of gears and other articles during the cooling or hardening of the same.

Heretofore in hard articles considerable difficulty has been experienced owing tothe distortion of the articles during the cooling thereof. This made it necessary to straighten the article back to its normal shape after the hardening had been effected and in some cases the distortion was so great that it was necessary to By the machine de-- scribed'herein for cooling articles, their correct, accurate form is preserved. he character of the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description of a machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is ai'view partly in side elevation and partly "in vertical section of the machine; and

Fig. 2 on an section through in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrative machine shown therein as embodying the invention comprises a work cylinder 1 and a enlarged scale is a vertical a part of the machine shown pressure cylinder 3 with their adjacent ends spaced somewhat and connected by ribs '5. Their other ends are connected by a skeleton frame 7 secured by bolts to channel bars 9 connected to a tank (not shown) which may contain oil or other appropriate cooling medium.

The work cylinder is provided with a. piston llhaving a hollow stem 13 depending therefrom through a boss 15 projecting down from the work cylinder 1, .said stem being reciprocable on an oil supply pipe '16.

hepiston 11 is hollowed out and the boss .15 is counter-bored to receive a helical spring 17 encircling the plunger stem 13 and tend,- in to liftthe plunger, as more fully hereina er .described. To limit the upward movement of said stem Specification of Letters Patent.

. end of the boss ening gears and other andthen again attempt 27 has passages 13 leading '13 into the plate 23 through the passages 35.

.ofth

under the action of its Patented Feb. a, 1913..

is provided threaded to adapted to engage the lower 15.

Themachine is shown herein as equipped for application to a bevel but it is adaptable to other gears or articles.

he pressure cylinder 3 contains an inner piston 19 and an outer annular shaped pis: ton 21.- The work cylinder piston 11 is prospring, a collar 13 said stem and vlded with a faceplate or member 23 detachgear such as 22,

ably connected to said piston by screws 25,

he upper surface to conform to the of the gear 22.

he-pressure cylinder pistons 19 and 21 are provided with face plates 27 and 29 detachably connected to said pistons by screws 33and 31, the under surfaces of said. plates being shaped to conform to the upper face of the gear.

'To permit the distribution and circulation of oil or other cooling medium to the gear the work cylinder piston plate 23' is provided with passages 35 and 37 communicating with the stem 13 of said piston and adapted to conduct the oil to andout of channels 39 in the upper face ofthe'pl'ate 23 beneath the lower face of the gear. To permit the passage of the oil from'lthe work cylinder piston stem 13 to the upper face of the gear the piston face there may be provided a central plate 41 adapted to be set within thegear and having-a hollow boss communicating witli saidstem. The plate radially from the of said plate being shapedv contour of the lower face space above the plate 41 toward the teeth of the gear andto channels 44 in the lower face of the plate 27.

y-this construction the oil maypass or be forced by a usual pump not shown) up thes'upply pipe 16 and piston stem and be distributed to the channels 39 beneath the gear and through the passages through 37 out of-said plate. The oil also circulates up through the central bore in the plate 41 and is radially distributed from the space above it through the passages 43, thence to and between the gear teeth and through the channels 44. Thus a rapid and thorough effective cooling circulation of oil to the various'portions of the gear isprovided.

It willbe observed that the outer portion e gear containing the teeth is considerthicker than the. web portion of the ably As a result in cooling, greater congear.

' and arrangement through the tively larger than traction may be expected in one portion of the gear than in the other. The construction of the liquid conducting to prevent such assa es in the lates tend p g p It will be obdifierence in contraction.

served that the radial passages 43 in the plate 27 not only supply liquid to all of the spaces between the teeth but also are relathe passages 35 and 39 for conducting the liquid to the under side and web portion of the gear. As a result large streams of liquid will Jflow rapidly to and spaces between the teeth and supply a greater quantity of cooling liquid to the portion of the gear containing the teeth than to the other portion thereof. In other words, the passages control the liquid and distribute the same to the different portions of the ear in such a manner as to reduce the di erence in contraction of such portions and consequent distortion of the gear to a minimum. The central piston 19 pipe 53 acts against the web of the gear and the annular piston 29 acts against the teeth of the gear. To further guard against anydfiference in contraction of different portions of the gear the pistons are relatively movable so that one may the other.

To lift the pistons from the work'cylinder piston plate 23 the central piston 19 is connected bya rod 45 (Fig. 1) with a piston 47 in a lifting cylinder 49 secured to a base 51 mounted on and secured to the top of the cylinder 3.

To admit compressed air or other fluid to the cylinders 3 and 49 there is provided a connected to a suitable source of and having branch pipes 55 and 57 supply to said cylinders 3 and 49 respecleading tively.

The pipe 53 may be provided with an usual pressure regulator 59 which it is unnecessary. to show in detail herein. To control the admission of fluid to the cylinders there is provided a four-way valve 61 in the pipe 53. When in one position admission to the pressure and lifting cylinders 3 and -19 is closed; in another position, pressure in cylinder 49 is released and admission to the cylinder 3 is effected for forcing the pistons 19 and 21 downward; and in another position the pressure in cylinder 3 is released and fluid is admitted to the cylinder 49 for forein}; its piston 47 upward to lift the pistons 19 and 21 up away from the work cylinder piston 11. p

As stated, the rod l5 is connected to the central piston 19. In order that the lift may be transmltted from said central pisbe pressed independently of 19 and 21 up awaysistance of its spring 17 pumped or otherwise with the pistons 19 and 21 up away from the work cylinder piston 11, the piston 21 is provided with spring fingers 69 mounted in grooves 71 in said piston and bent to present shoulders 73 for engaging the under face of the gear. To facilitate the releasing of these spring fingers from the gear their free ends may be extended downward and outward to present handles 75.

The cylinder 3 may be provided with a suitable gage 77 (Fig. 1) for indicating the pressure therein.

The line 79 represents in the tank.

In operation, the gear or other article to be cooled is placed plate 23 and the pistons 19 and 21 are lowered to bring their face plates 27 and 29 into engagement with the top face of the gear. The valve 61 is then turned to admit pressure into the cylinder 3. This forces the pistons 19 and 21 firmly gripping the gear between the piston plates. Continued pressure forces the pistons 19 and 21 on downward and depresses the work cylinder piston 11 against the refrom a position in which the gear is supported above the oil level line 79 to a position where the gear is submerged beneath said level. This downward movement of the pistons causes the normal oil level The gear may be submerged in a supply of oil contained in the tank or oil may e forced up through the work piston stem as desired.

As the gear cools it will contract more or less and tend to be distorted, but during the cooling thereof it is firmly gripped by the pistons and is confined against distortion. Some parts of an article may experience greater contraction than others, due to varia tion in thickness, hardness or character of material. In the gear shown for purposes of lllustration herein the portion thereof formlng the teeth will experience a different degree of contraction from the portion forming the web connecting the teeth to the hub. If the pistons 19 and 21 meet with different resistances one may move relatively to the other to compensate therefor. Any contraction of the gear is followed up and com-' on the work piston downward, thereby the oil in the tank to pass into the piston stem work piston remote pensated for by the work the action of its spring 17.

After the gear has been sufliciently cooled the valve 61 is turned to release the pressure from the cylinder 3 and to admit pressure beneath the piston ,47 in the lifting cylinder 49.

his piston, operating through the rod 45, lifts the pistons 19 and 21 up away from the 1 1, andby means of the spring fingers 69 the gear is carried with the pistons 19'and "21 and lifted up out of and above the level of the oil. By pulling the spring handles 75 outward the gear may be piston 11 under 1 readily released from said pistons.

e piston plates may their pistons and therefor to conform to a variety other articles as desired.

By adjusting the pressure regulator 59 varying pressures-may be put on the article to be hardened according to its size, thickness and strength of material.

The machine has a large capacity since the articles can be gripped the fact thatithe oil may be forced against the article and may be distributed to the top, 'bottomand sides thereof simultaneously.

, conform, to portions Having described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, without limitinthe same thereto, what claim as new an -desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

mac ine of the-class described comin. combination, members formed to of a gear of different prising,

mass, means for said. ear to confine the latter. against distdrtion, said members; being automatically relatively movable in response to different degrees of contraction of said diiferent tions of said and means "for differenbe readily detached "said piston above pressure cylinder; a spring pressed piston in said work cylinder; a fluid pressed piston in said pressure cylinder, said pistons-having provision for receiving an article between them; and means for moving said pistons against the resistance of said spring to; subject the article to the action of a cooling medium. P

5. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a work cylinder; a pressure cylinder; apiston in the former; a spring tending to hold the upper face of the level of a cooling medium; a piston in said pressure cylinder, said pistons having provision for receiving an article between them; and means for forcing said pistons downward against the resistance of said spring to submerge the medium. machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a work cylinder; a pressure cylinder and a lifting cylinder; pistons for said'cylinders, said Work and "pressure cylinder pistons having provision pressure cylinder; and pistons in said cylinpressmg said members to 'd A machine of the class described coin A machine of the, prisin pressure cylinder; a sprlng pressed piston in 'said work cylinder; and a plural-part piston in said pressure cylinder for confining an .article against distortion; and means for moving said pistons to press an article .and subject the same to the action of a cooling medium. r

' 4. A machine ofthe prising, in combination, a'woi-k cylinder; a

class described coin g, in combination, a work cylinder; a

class described comers for receiving an articlebetween them, one of said pistons having resilient means for engaging the article to separate the lat- "ter from the other piston.

9. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, pressure cylinder; and ders for receiving an one of said pistons in said cylinarticle between them,

' tachably connecting the article thereto.

f prss ure cylinder; and

. one of 'ing therefrom for prising, ,pressure cylinder;

" 11. A mach 10. A machine of the class described c0mprising, in combination, a work cylinder; a

pistons in said cylinarticle between them, said pistons having spring fingers for detachably connecting the article thereto.

ine of the class described comprising, in combination, a work cylinder; a pressure cylinder; pistons in said oyllnders for receiving an article between them, said workc ylinder piston having a stem dependconducting a cooling medium to the article.

12. A machine of the class described comin combination, a work cylinder; a pistons in said cylinders article between them; and

ders for receiving an for recei'vmg an a I work cylinder; a-

PIStOIlS having means for dein the work .ated piston in the pressure c -tons from another to release the article.

13. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a workcylinder; a pressure cylinder; pistons in said cylinders for receiving an article between them; means including apiston and cylinder for separating one of said article receiving plstons from another to release the article; and pressure means for actuating said pistons.

. 1.4:. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a work support; means for distributing a cooling medium internally through said support; a cylinder; pistons therein relatively movable toconform to the contracting character of the work; and means for causing. said pistons to press the work and its support in a direction to introduce acooling medium to the work.

15. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a work cylinder, a pressure cylinder, a spring pressed piston cylinder, a fluid pressure actuated piston in the pressure cylinder, said piston having provision for engaging an article to confine the same with variable degrees of pressure thereon against distortion while cooling; a I

' 16. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a work cylinder, a pressure cylinder, in the work cylinder, a fluid pressure actulinder, a second fluid pressure actuated piston in the pressure cylinder and within the first named piston, said pistons having provision for engagmg variable degrees of pressure thereon against distortion while cooling.

17, A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, opposed, members formed to receive a gear between them, means to center the gear on one of saidmembers, said members having'a multiplicity of passages for differentially delivering cooling .liquid directly to different parts of the gear,

and means to cause said members to. grip said gear to prevent distortion thereof dur-' ing the cooling operation.

18. Amachine of. the class described eommembers prising in combination opposed 23, 27 :ind 29 formed to hold cm to surfaces ofan article, some of said members being at relatively lovable in response to different the art1cle, and

a spring pressed piston an article to confine the same w1th degrees in contraction of different portions of the article, said members having controlling passages therein for differentially deliverin cooling liquid to different parts of means for causing said memhere to grip said article to prevent distor-. tion thereof while cooling.

. 19. A machine of the class described comprising incombination, an article support; means for distributing a cooling medium internally through said support to said article; and members for engagement with different portions of the article, independently movable toward said support to compensate for different degrees of contraction of said portions.

20. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a work piston; a pressure piston; cylinders forsaid pistons; members separably associated with said pistons formed to conform to the contour of different portions of an article; means for differentially distributing a cooling medium through said members tosaid portions according to the mass press said members against said article to confine the same against distortion whilecooling.

thereof; and means to.

22. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, gear receiving means including form t the toothed portion of a gear and a portion thereof of different mass, said means having passages arranged for distributmg a cooling medium between the teeth of the gear; and means'to press said members toward said gear to p'rev'entdistortion thereof while cooling.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. PERRY.

Witnesses:

Eoennn F. RUssmL, Jorm It.

members shaped to con-. 

